Downward Spirals and Rising up
by Kimbeam219
Summary: Edward had moved to Chicago to go to college. Bella had done the same. Neither of them knew each other well, nor had they crossed paths while there, until the night Edward decided to leave Chicago, and runs into Bella. OOC AH


**EPOV**

Life is uncertain. The only certainty is death. Things change, people change, everything changes. And somehow it seems life can go on and on, spiral downwards, and rise back up again.

I was currently stuck in the spiral down stage of life. Nothing was going right. I had just dropped out of college, and was working as a bartender, only making enough to pay the rent and get my fixes. I was nothing, not confident, not self assured, nothing. I was the decaying waste of mankind.

I packed up my bags and headed to the only place I could where I actually meant something, and that place of all places, Forks Washington where my mother and father live.

After graduating high school I had moved to Chicago, gotten into drugs, and gave up on ever becoming a doctor. Hell I had even given up on music. I had no inspiration, no muse to accomplish anything in life. Days merged into each other and hell if I could tell you what day it currently is. I only have one goal, to get home and try to pick up the pieces of my broken life.

I packed up what little belongings I currently owned and shoved them into my car, this was going to be a very long trip, so I had stocked up on uppers to get me there without sleep.

I checked my watch, it was 12:30 a.m. on the dot. I slid into the drivers seat, started the engine, and hit the open road, unsure of what exactly awaited me in the only place I could call home.

**BPOV**

Never again. Fuck this town, fuck these people, FUCK my life. I had stumbled out of Ted's apartment. Hell at this point in my life I didn't even know who I was. I know I came to Chicago with a dream and passion for writing. Somewhere along the way that all got messed up. I got messed up. I was struggling to pay rent, to pay tuition, and just make ends meet. I had gotten into the dancing scene so that I could make a little money. Oh if Charlie could see me now.

His precious little daughter taking off her clothes for money. With the whole dancing scene came the drug scene, and I had been trying anything I could get my hands on. Uppers, sedatives, hallucinogens, you name it. I was shit. I couldn't stay in school because I was too concentrated on getting high.

Charlie had been calling me for days now. I'm pretty sure he was just notified that I had dropped out of college. He was always so worried about me, and part of me felt like shit for not trying harder to make him proud, part of me didn't care because I couldn't get my fix.

Instead of getting it, I got the crap beaten out of me by Ted, my drug dealer and you could also say my pimp. I wasn't proud of myself, in fact I loathed myself. The drugs only helped me escape the fact that I hate myself. I was stumbling down the road, I'm sure I looked like hell, but I need to get out of here.

I need to go home to Charlie and tell him what's been going on, because I can't save myself alone anymore. I help up my arm, stuck out my thumb, and prayed to god that someone would pick me up and help me get home. I kept walking trying to read street signs but my vision was so blurred from the blood running down my face and into my eyes. I noticed it had gotten a little brighter, so I turned to the direction the light was coming from and saw a silver car speeding down the road.

This was my only chance and I needed to take it, I ran out into the middle of the road waving my hands like the maniac I'm pretty sure I am at this point. The car screeched to a stop in front of me as I fell to my knees and let out a painful sob.

**EPOV**

I had just started my trip and was headed down E Adams Street when I noticed something in the road. As I neared the object what I saw shocked the hell out of me. A girl, her face bruised and bloody, waving her hands fiercely in the air. Usually I would have just passed, but I had the feeling she would just jump in front of my car. I had no desire to damage my car from hitting some crazy chick.

I screeched to a stop, put the car in park, and got out to see what the hell this girls problem was. As I was walking towards the girl, she fell to her knees and began to sob and scream. As I was nearing her, I felt this weird electricity in the air around us. As she sobbed again, it felt like someone had pricked my heart. What the hell is going on.

I walked briskly to her and kneeled down, putting my hand on her shoulder. She collapsed into me, shaking violently from her sobs and screams.

While rubbing her hair softly trying to quiet her, I was still noticing the electricity, that was now intensified by our contact.

"Shhhhhhh, shhhhh calm down, shhhhh" I quietly spoke trying to settle her.

"What the hell happened, shh stop crying you are ok now, I need to get you to a hospital can you stand?" I was nervously rocking her back and forth as her sobs began to quiet down.

"I-I n-need you to t-take me away from here, pleasse, I'm begging you please! I'll pay you whatever you want I don't care just please please please get me away from here." She spoke in hysterics.

"I can take you to a hospital if you'd like, your pretty beaten up, come on lets try to stand" I reached under her arms and carefully picked her up. The wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.

I walked back to the car and opened the passenger door gently setting her down in the passenger seat, put her seat belt on her, closed the door and ran to the drivers side. I slid back into the seat and turned the car on. I looked over to the girl who was know holding her knees to her chest and looking out the window, still slightly shaking.

I pulled the car to the side of the road. I needed to talk to her and find out what the hell was going on with her before I proceeded in doing anything else.

I cleared my throat to get her attention. "Where do I need to take you? Do you want me to take you to a hospital or do you live around here?"

She turned to look at me, tears and blood streaming down her face.

"I don't live around here, and I can't go to the hospital, I don't have insurance." She spoke as she began to cry harder.

I opened the glove compartment and took out some wet towelettes. "Here, let me clean some of the blood off so I can see where you are bleeding from."

I opened the packets and held her head in one hand while my other hand went to work cleaning off the mess that covered her face. As I looked at the girl more clearly, I thought I had recognized her. Long brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, full punk lips.

"Oh my god, Bella? Bella Swan? What the hell are you doing out here, and why are you in this condition?" I asked in a frantic state.

Bella Swan went to school in forks with me. We never really spoke to each other. I was always off with my girlfriend at the time Tanya. But I had always noticed Bella, she was gorgeous. She was staring at me with wide eyes now.

"Edward?" she sobbed "Oh no, no I'm so sorry. I..he…he beat me. I can't explain it Edward. Where are you going? I just really need to get out of here"

She looked around nervously as she spoke.

"No, We aren't going anywhere until you tell me who did this. Does Charlie know?" I asked.

She closed her eyes and shook her head no. I don't know why but I felt the urge to protect her from whoever could have done this. But I also needed to find out where the blood was coming from. I continued cleaning her face and spotted a small gash just about her left eyebrow, and another on her right cheek. Neither of them looked like the would need stitches.

As I finished cleaning her face, I asked her again what had happened.

"His name is Ted, I've been working for him for awhile. He always get really mad and abusive when he is drinking. I went over to his house to umm, get something and he just attacked me." She explained with a shaky voice. "I just need to get out of here, if he finds me he's going to do this again, Edward. I know you don't know me well, but I really need you to just listen and drive, far away from here, I'll pay you whatever you want. I'll do ANYTHING you want, just please lets go."

I couldn't help but feel the need to save her, so I didn't ask another question. I just put the car in drive and headed in the direction of home, for both of us.


End file.
